This week we were invited to a cool place called Virtual Ability Island. It was made for the purpose to be a safe and accepting place with people with disabilities.

Gentle Heron, who has been on Second life for years and who is a founder of Virtual Ability Island, invited us to sit and listen to her story. She invited a few friends that are tied into the island as well. They all went around and told us why they joined second life, about there disabilities and information about the island.

After we chatted and asked Gentle Heron and her friends questions, the allowed us to explore the island a bit. There were wheelchair ramps everywhere, and signs with clear and big writing on them so people with unclear sight and read them easily. My favourite part was a hot air balloon that took me around the island from an aerial view.

It was very interesting, and it was nice to hear people’s personal stories about Second life, it made the site even more real and special. To know that so many people value this life, and count on it to socialize and be happy is pretty nice to hear that it’s not just some big chat room with avatars. it’s a kind of home and a free place.

This week we had to read a story. Stephen Duncombe’sintro to Sir Thomas Moore’s Utopia. I found the story very interesting, and it was a story i never heard before. Our task was to read it, and come up with a question about it that we needed to ask next session. I did not really get this part of the task. I could not think of a single question to ask about it. Being dyslexic, reading was never my strong suit as a child, now reading is a little easier, but dissecting a story is still a small struggle. I was very impressed by my class mates, they had great angles and points, and hearing them question and observe a story the way they did was lovely to hear, and it got me thinking along with them. I was enjoying them talking about the story so much i did not really take part in the discussion, it really is not my area that im confident in. And every small thought i had, i knew it would seem silly, and not important compared to my classmates great theories and language. A skill i hope to absorb as i go on.

Looking forward to the next session, i hope to partisapate a bit more.

Our latest class on Second Life defiantly went smoother for everyone i think. We were all able to speak to one another, and i went away feeling better about it, im starting to think that we are all getting the hang of it.

We began the class with normal pre class chats, and we were introduced to a new person. She will be attending our future lectures from now on. After that we went around in a circle and spoke for a minute about our experiences on Second Life, exploring the new world. I did not have much of a story to tell, i was busy that week, and the most memorable thing happened was i met this big blue and green turtle. I tried to say hi, then flew away. There were some funny stories from my classmates though which made me want to really get out and explore this vast strange world.

After that, we went around in a circle again to explain what out avatar names were. Some had cool stories, ‘ Chip Van Corner’ would be my favourite though. My name means nothing witty, or interesting. It’s a shortened version of my full name that i chose quickly on the day i set my account up. I plan on changing it soon when i have a bit of time to brainstorm one out.

Before we left class, Our teacher put us in groups of three, our task was to explore in these groups and chat. I’m guessing we will talk about our experiences next class. I met up with my group only once so far, we went to a theme park, we could not speak to each other oddly, even though we could at DIT. We got separated pretty much straight away, being bored on trying to find them, i started going on rides. which was odd. Going on a rollercoaster is meant to be thrilling and fun, but in reality i was sat at my kitchen table trying not to look at whatever my boyfriend was trying to cook. I was tired, and not smiling or laughing, things i would expect to happen when going to a theme park.

After i left the group outing, i went and searched ‘cool places on second life to go’, and i just browsed until something caught my eye. I went to cool looking places, and i got the nerve to say hi to people and they were very welcoming, they were all dancing, and i accidentally went up on the stage and i was told off for being there, i got weird and left, plus the music was pretty shite.

I’m slowly getting more and more into this other world, It’s still a bit of a chore for me, i come home from work, i would prefer to be chilling with food and a film, but i have to do it at some time. But the more i do it, i stay on a bit longer each time.

After last week i was determined to catch up and get the speech thing down. I made sure my boyfriend was in the house this time, and being the computer wiz that he is, it took him a total of 12 seconds to fix the speech. So away we went, I could hear everyone and they could hear me…chopping vegetables because i left my bloody mic on. I was listening to the class and everything, it was just on at a weird time, my boyfriend and i call “dinner time”. It’s another thing i need to factor into this new life, i need to have my dinner a little early. Pretty much the whole class was a us all trying to figure things out on it. How to join the class, how to get in the door. A funny moment i thought was when a classmate got stuck outside somewhere, Our teacher went to look for them, a minute later i saw a man (my teacher) flying on a chair with balloons on it over the skylight window on the classroom.
We spoke about the blogs we need to do to get our thought process down of the whole thing. Which i find cool, better then and essay every week. I’m feel like i’m still a bit behind on what we need to do, my laptop broke last week, so currently playing catch up.

My first time in my new “Second Life” was always going to be a bit bumpy. I was going into it with an open mind, since i love playing the Sims, i thought this would be a more advanced version.
I arrived early, and quickly googled how to sit down. after a minute of standing on the chairs. I got that down no problem. As it came up to my lecture, more of my classmate arrived, and the nearby chat was going nuts, full of questions, one being how to sit, and i new that one.
Our lectuer arrived, and we were about to begin, when i could not work out how to get the speach button to work, and yes i pressed it, and i followed the instructions, but it jsut was not happening for me. So i basically sat there (but i was really in bed with a glass of wine and a bag of crisps) in scilence, while my other classmates were communiacting like bosses. So i sat for about an hour, very tempted to watch an episode of New Girl.
Near the hour mark i wrote in the nearby chat asking if i was missing much…and i was. After class, everyone stood and headed out to the balcony, so i followed. We stood around for a bit, until i got bored of being out of the loop, and i flew off, trying to explore the area. I was sick of being on my laptop so i quit my first day of Second Life feeling a little unsatisfied and bummed out that i missed the class. Im looking forward to next time, and im definatly getting my boyfriend to help next time.